LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

WARREN RUDA / THE CITIZENS' VOICE
Wyoming Seminary junior Seth Callahan scored the 1,000th point of his basketball career last Saturday. His father, Bill, also scored 1,000 points during his playing career at GAR.

KINGSTON - In a day and age where shots are taken at a rather high rate during high school basketball games, Seth Callahan is well behind the times. So much so that there are times it becomes frustrating to Wyoming Seminary coach C.J. Kersey.

In a sense, Callahan, who had taken 185 shots through his first 15 games, is doing more with less.

"The thing about Seth is that he works harder to get everything he has out of his ability than any kid I have ever coached," Kersey said. "He is a passer first, he doesn't care about scoring. He would rather score five points and win than score 25 and lose. The only time I really get on him is to shoot more often. To get 1,000 points and be a team-first guy and do it as a junior speaks to the type of player he is."

Callahan reached the 1,000-point milestone last Saturday in Wyoming Seminary's non-league victory over Tunkhannock. It was a unique accomplishment for Seth, whose father, Bill, also eclipsed the 1,000-point mark while playing at GAR. Bill Callahan finished his career with 1,362 points.

And don't think that number has not registered with Seth.

"At the beginning of my freshman year I made a bet with my father that I would break his mark," Callahan said. "He wants to take it back because he didn't have the 3-point line. It is a great accomplishment because it is not often that a junior scores 1,000 points. A lot of the credit goes to my coaches and teammates for putting me in this position."

While Callahan deflects most of the credit to his teammates and coaches, it is through his own hard work that he has gotten this far. The junior has been a three-year starter for the Seminary varsity and is averaging 21.9 points per game, which ranks him third in the Wyoming Valley Conference.

"From day one he has been a coach on the floor," Kersey said. "We put the ball in his hands and felt comfortable. Growing up with his father as a head coach, he has the knowledge and experience. He knows what to do. There are times when we ask him what he sees on the floor and what he wants to run."

In a roundabout way, Callahan has a basketball problem and he is not afraid to admit it. He even refers to himself as a basketball nerd. If he is not playing basketball or practicing, he spends some of his free time playing video games. Of course, they are basketball video games. Over the summer, he takes approximately 400-450 shots per day and is not satisfied until he connects on at least half of those attempts.

He plays AAU for JB Hoops out of Scranton, which provides him the opportunity to travel around the country and play against some top-flight competition. He has come a long way since being the ball boy when his father was a head coach and Seth was the cute little kid who would entertain the crowd at halftime shooting baskets while the teams were in the locker room.

"It is crazy to think how far it's been," Callahan said of his ball boy days. "It feels like a long time ago. I still see pictures of me dribbling up the sidelines while his team was in the layup line. I was really small looking at those pictures compared to where I am today."

Where he is today is the player on the floor whose the opposing defense is geared to stop. Callahan has seen a variety of gimmick defenses this season. There has been a triangle-and-two with the two guarding Callahan, a box-and-one as well as 1-2-2 zone where three of the defenders were focused on him.

"Last year he was a key player and this year we have only two returning starters," Kersey said. "He leads by example and pushes his teammates in a positive manner.

"Every team we play, their one objective is to stop Seth. He keeps his poise and is calm and lets his game do the talking."

Aside from his exploits on the basketball court, Callahan is equally as good in the classroom.

He carries a 4.2 GPA, which is why he has heard from colleges such as Lafayette and Princeton as well as some top academic and basketball schools at the Division II and II levels.

It's Callahan's goal to play at the next level and he believes his academics along with his basketball ability will help him reach that goal.

"Lafayette called last spring and said they were going to follow me the next two years," Callahan said. "Princeton said they are going to take a look as well. It is a combination of academics and basketball. I am hoping I can get in a good school that is also good in basketball."

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